Hi. Haven't posted in a while. Everything is going fine. I've been really busy here with the kids, and spending the evenings with H.
H still sends loving emails from work, calls home during the day, etc. We have lunch together sometimes, and we spend out nights cuddling on the couch. It's a nice change from a year ago.
We are getting ready to move to our next base. Well, we don't move until October, but I'm getting ready by gathering bubble wrap and such to pack our expensive collectibles, and things in. The gov. movers usually end up breaking things, so I figured I'd take extra precaution.
Older D is doing great in pre-school. Since things with H and I have been going so well in the past few months I see a HUGE difference in her behavior, it's gotten so much better.
Younger D just turned 18 months. She's a joy. I notice that I've become a more hands on mommy since things have been going better. During our "bad" times, I kind of shut down I guess. Now, I'm a better person all around.
Weight loss is going slow. Still want to lose about 40 pounds. I belong to the enlisted spouses club on base, and will be involved in a book club soon!
I have been worried about SARS. Anyone else? Being in HI, we have lots of people coming here, pretty scary. Hopefully H won't have to travel for a while. I just read they think it will kill millions. H got sick after coming home from Korea last week and I was freaking out thinking it was SARS.
Some history... I had SARS. Well, it was called ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome). It's the same thing, just started a different way. That's what I had when I got sick several years ago. I got a bacterial infection in my throat that turned septic, then got pneumonia, then ARDS. So, it culminated in the same things that SARS does, but SARS starts with a virus. I'm so scared of catching it. I remember being on the respirator, HORRIBLE. I was in a coma for a while, mostly drug induced so I wouldn't fight the vent, and my chance of survival with Sepsis and ARDS was less than 10%. I'm lucky to be alive and to have had my two beautiful babies. I lost my baby that I was carrying when I got sick. I also have bad lungs now because of what I had, but mostly it's severe asthma. Gosh, I'm just so scared of being that sick again.
This may seem morbid, or maybe not, depends. I've decided to start a journal for my kids. I want to write about my life, their lives, etc. Just so they will have something to always remember. I became pretty paranoid after being so sick, I thought that each time I went into the hospital to give birth that I'd get sick and die. Each time I get a bad cold I think to myself "am I getting it again?" It was such a freak thing that I had. Only 1 in 150,000 had what I did in the US at that time. I was written up in a medical journal while I was in the rehab. facility because, astonishingly (spelling?) I recovered so quickly from the paralysis I got after the coma. They said something happened when I was given steroids and other meds that caused a muscle wasting illness called Rhabdomyolysis. So, when I woke up, I was paralyzed from the neck down. But, with therapy at the rehab center (Thanks NRH in DC!!) I came back almost 100%.
Sorry to go on and on, but I couldn't help it. Anyway, I hope everyone is doing ok, and had a happy Easter! Can't believe it's almost May!! H and I smile at each other a lot and thank God that we've come so far in the past year!
Jill -- I needed to read an inspirational success story and here you are!!! Awesome stuff! I'm so glad that you and your H. were so successful putting the "pieces" back together.
Sage
Relax. Appreciate. Be calm. Laugh. Enjoy. Be secure. Be loving. Be loved. Don't personalize. Don't ASSume. Accept. Be grateful.
Hi Jill - Sounds good around your place! Same here Isn't it the greatest? Hey - an idea about the weight loss. if you want to really get serious - have you ever read that book "Body for Life"? I've never used the program exactly as it is, but did incorporate a lot of those ideas when I lost weight. Am currently planning to do a 12 week challenege with my S16 so I can lose these last 10 - 15 lbs. and mostly so he can lose weight and get more active. And who knows, you might win some money! (It's a contest to see who can make the biggest transformation in their body and their life in 12 weeks).
I know you can do it - look at everything we have learned here about goal setting. They even have online support groups. Check it out - you can find the book almost anywhere, or go right to their website, www.bodyforlife.com .
Hi Jill, I've never been by your thread. Did a little reading and its wonderful how far you and H have come.
I wanted to respond to this:
Quote: This may seem morbid, or maybe not, depends. I've decided to start a journal for my kids. I want to write about my life, their lives, etc. Just so they will have something to always remember.
Nothing morbid about it. I say do it and this is why. My first M ended in the sudden death of my H (we were both only 27 at the time). We had been M 10 yrs and had our only child (DS) just six weeks prior to his passing.
The first thing I did was gather as many photos, songs that H wrote, old school report cards, notes, anything that pertained to H. I then put it all neatly in a book for DS because he would never have a chance to know his dad.
That was 18 years ago. Today my son cherishes that book and talks of his dad as if he always knew him.
Jill, Just wanted to let you know I was thinking of you, and I follow your thread to keep me on track. I do hope my situation improves like your has. SARS is scarey- but don't let the fear take you over. Enjoy your kids- so glad that you see good changes in your daughter.. I am praying it will only get better for you and me, and all of us! Happy Mother's day!!!!! Love, Cindy
Hope everyone is doing well. Cindy, I follow you thread almost daily just to see what your H is up to. Funny how Skank has a broken ankle and can travel, Hmmm, maybe an attempt to keep your H pretty close and away from you? What a skank!
Emily, thanks for posting! I have been scrapping and getting a journal ready for each of my girls. I have to check out your sitch!
Ellie!!! How have you been?? Climbing soon??
Things are great here. H has school on Thurs. and Fri. evenings again, but it's not so bad. He still emails me almost daily and is a real help with the kids. I have been doing lots of things on my own lately. I joined the Enlisted Spouses Club, and I will be starting up a book club the end of this month. Also, I went to the Parent Advisory meeting for my older D's school yesterday and volunteered to help out at the book fair. Also, I am thinking of joining the group. Lots going on!
I've been walking every morning. When I only have 18 month old D, we walk a bit more than 2 miles (I push her in the stroller). When I have both her and 3 y.o. D I push the double stroller (UGH! at least 70 pounds of weight) so I only go about a mile and a half. Tonight I start my strength training! I am going to walk 4 days a week and do strength training at the gym 3 nights a week (if H can go with me a couple of nights, we'll get the sitter, if not, he'll watch the girls, when he has school, I will get the sitter myself).
I had been having lots of trouble with older D. Big discipline problems! It seems like she goes through stages, some days are great, other's make me want to bang my head into a tree! LOL. I lack consistency, and I'm weak when it comes to not giving into her. I've been trying so hard to change that! H has been offering lots of advice to me about this. He is great with the girls, and they aren't a problem for him, I'm trying to take his lead.
H brought up our plans for what to do after he retires (2 years away, YEAH!!). We are leaving here in October or January and heading to our final base for a year or so, HURRAY!!!! He wants us to buy the home he grew up in from his father (father offered to H, that's what got H thinking). It's in upstate NY, Lafayette (anyone know it?) Not too far from Syracuse. Very small town, all of H's family lives there, so it will be great for us and the kids. I could never live near my family, but that's another story! LOL.
I did go back into "old Jill mode" when I asked "how do you know if you'll still want to be with me in two years" Yikes! Then he laughed and said "babe, I know I want to be with you, what happened before won't happen again". Well, I know we can't see the future, I mean, either one of us could run for the hills, but it was sure nice to hear him validate my feelings!
We will only have to pay taxes on the house. There is no mortgage, and it's been sitting vacant for a couple of years. FIL goes and checks on it daily, and he is building another home not far from there. I just love my H's step-mother, we are very close, so it will be a great move! Step-MIL is young, only 47 (FIL is 16 years older).
I was so suprised when H presented the idea to me! We are going to take out a VA loan and fix it up the way we'd like it. Put in an extra bathroom upstairs, etc. It's a beautiful home, quite large and LOTS of land, 9 acres!
Anyway, that's what's going on in the House Of Jill!
Just wanted to catch everyone up on my sitch! I will try to post more often! I just had to post on Mal's thread because I feel terrible about what's being handed to her!
You sound freaking fabulous!!! I LOVE all of the wonderful things that you are doing for yourself, your kids, you life!!! YOU, my friend, are a SUCCESS STORY!! (And, you rebuilt your M to boot!)
Wow. I am so psyched for you.
Sage
Relax. Appreciate. Be calm. Laugh. Enjoy. Be secure. Be loving. Be loved. Don't personalize. Don't ASSume. Accept. Be grateful.
Quoting Teach: Just wanted to catch everyone up on my sitch! I will try to post more often! I just had to post on Mal's thread because I feel terrible about what's being handed to her!
Thanks Jill. Good to hear from you. Keep in touch!!
Me 47 Ex H 46 Bomb 9/02 D final 3/04 Ex H now married to OW
------------ This is surviving. There is no such thing as a normal life, there's just life. So get on with it and enjoy it!
Isn't it the greatest?
